The mysterious movement of the Skynet-1A military satellite is causing concern among experts. The satellite, launched in 1969 for the needs of Great Britain, is now in orbit near North America at an altitude of 36,000 kilometers. Specialists suspect that such movement was hardly caused by natural factors. And while the exact causes remain unknown, the situation poses a real threat to other satellites in orbit.
Skynet-1A, developed by the American company Philco Ford and launched from the US spaceport, was supposed to provide communications for the British military in Singapore. Its location over the east coast of Africa allowed effective communication with the troops. After several years of operation, the satellite failed, and due to gravitational effects, it had to move to the east - over the Indian Ocean.
However, instead of the expected gradual eastward shift, the 500 kg satellite has moved westward — it is now in orbit over North America. It is considered unlikely that such a movement occurred due to orbital mechanics, indicating the intervention of external forces. According to British space consultant Stuart Ives, this unpredictable behavior of the satellite still has no explanation.
Experts put forward several hypotheses regarding this anomaly. There is speculation that at some point the US temporarily gained control of the satellite while the UK was undergoing repairs. Official archival data also indicate that in 1977 the British Air Force lost the ability to monitor Skynet-1A, after which control may have passed to the United States.
However, instead of moving the satellite to the so-called orbital graveyard - an area where non-working space equipment is located with minimal risk of collisions - it remained in orbit among the operating vehicles. As Ives points out, Skynet-1A has already repeatedly come close to operating satellites, which significantly increases the risk of collisions and poses a serious threat to the space infrastructure.
